Yona
The word Yona in Pali and the Prakrits, and the analogue Yavana in Sanskrit, were used in Ancient India to designate Greek speakers. "Yona" and "Yavana" are transliterations of the Greek word for "Ionians", who were probably the first Greeks to be known in India.
Meaning & Origin of Yona
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
The word Yona in Pali and the Prakrits, and the analogue Yavana in Sanskrit, were used in Ancient India to designate Greek speakers. "Yona" and "Yavana" are transliterations of the Greek word for "Ionians", who were probably the first Greeks to be known in India.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Origin & history
The Story of Yona
As a girl name
Yona first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1924, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2014, when 18 Yonas were born — ranking #6,711 that year. As of 2026, Yona ranks #7,612 for girls with 14 births, gradually rising (+13%). In total, more than 351 Yonas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Yona first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1982, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 32 Yonas were born — ranking #3,609 that year. As of 2026, Yona ranks #3,609 for boys with 32 births, rising sharply (+38% over the past five years). In total, more than 530 Yonas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Yona
Phonetically similar names — useful when Yona is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Yona
What does the name Yona mean?
How popular is Yona in 2026?
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About the name Yona
Yona is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1982 and has accumulated 530 births in the dataset. Yona's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #3,589. Use the chart and map above to compare Yona's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "Y" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.